CAIRO: In a shocking defeat, Cairo-based giants Al Ahly are returning home from Libya after being routed 2-0 by Libyan league champions Ittihad in Tripoli. The loss means the Egyptian side will be forced to defeat the Libyans by three goals when they play the second leg of their quarterfinal African Champions League match in Cairo in two weeks. Ittihad defender Younes Shibani and Ahmed Zuway scored as the Tripoli-based club scored a devastating blow to the Egyptian side's hopes of claiming a semi-final berth in a tournament they had dominated in recent years. It came as sweet revenge for Ittihad, who had been knocked out of the semi-finals of the championship by Al Ahly in 2007. The Egyptian club has won Africa's top competition 6 times and despite controlling possession for much of the match, they could not get the ball to the back of the net. Ittihad's Zuway was the man of the match as he was constantly able to maintain his tight defense and push the ball forward when the opportunity arose. Shibani was the recipient of a Zuway pass in the 13th minute and was able to put his head to the ball and push it past the line for the first goal. Zuway then iced the match in the 73rd minute, also heading home a goal on a corner kick. Egyptian fans were noticeably angry at their popular club teams performance, but Sherif, a die-hard Ahly fan clad in his team's jersey, said that “in two weeks we will show them this match was just a really, really bad game.” BM
